Carpet-sweeper.



No. 643,778. Patented Feb. 20, |900.

s. PALMER.

CARPET SW'EEPEH.

(Application led July 6, 1898.) y (N0 Model- 2`Sly1eets--Sht l.

luILLuLL No. 643,778. Patented Feb. 20, |900. S. PALMER.

CARPET SWEEPER.

(Application led Jfuly 6, 1898.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

STEPHEN PALMER, OF LANSINGBURG, NET YORK.

CARPET-SWEEPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,778, dated February20, 1900. Application filed July 6, 1898. Serial No. 685,245. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN PALMER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lansingburg, county of Rensselaer, and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carpet-Sweepers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The invention relates to such improvements; and it consists of the novelconstruction and combination of parts hereinafter described andsubsequently claimed.

Reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, and the letters ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several figures.

Figure 1 of the drawings is an end eleva` tion of my improvedcarpet-sweeper. Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the same with one endbroken away. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section of same. Fig. 4 is adetail view in plan showing the pivotal connection with a dustpan of itsactuating-link and retractingspring. Fig. 5 is adetail in elevationshowing the link connection between the case-supporting spring and oneof the drive-wheels. Fig. 6 is a central vertical section showing thebail-support for one end of the brush-roll. Fig. 7 is a vertical centrallongitudinal section of a drive-wheel hub and its axle.

The case A, drive-wheels A', and brushroll A2 are made and arrangedrelatively to each other-in substantially the common wellknown manner,whereby the drive-wheels, acting as traction-wheels, engage thefriction-gear A3 on the brush-roll and'cause the same to rotate.. Theroll is supported at its ends independently of the case by the inturnedends B of the well-known spring-bail or bifurcated arms B2 of thepropelling-handle B3. The bail is secured to the case by means of thesame inturned ends, which pass through apertures in the end bars A4 ofthe case. The bifurcated arms of the bail are made of spring materialand so formed relatively to each other that when they are sprung intoplace, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6, they will closely engage the end barsof the case, and the inturned ends will engage the bottoms of thesockets A5 in the ends of the roll, whereby the roll is wholly supportedby the bail ends and does not frictionally engage with any part of thecase or with any other obj ect except the drive-Wheels by which it ismade to rotatively operate.

The drive-wheels are provided with .wire axles A6, upon which they areloosely mounted, and which pass through relatively-large apertures A7 inthe end walls of the case from awheel on one end to a similar Wheel onthe other end, whereby the case is capable of a considerable movementvertically, as well as in other directions, Without bearing directlyupon the wheels or their axles.

As a means for supporting the case I provide the same with a wire springC, one on each of the ends of the case, which springs have their middleportions rigidly secured to the caseby means of the three hooks C', C2,and C3, leaving their ends free to yield vertically. These ends areconnected with the respective rdrive-wheels by means of links vvOi,whichare pivoted at their lower ends to the Wheel axle or hub and attheir upper ends upon the ends of the springs at points located withoutvertical lines projected upward from the bases of the respective wheels.With such a form of construction any downward pressure upon the bailtends to force the brush-roll down near the carpet and with it the case.As the case descends it causes the ends of the wire springs C to pressdownwardly upon the links which connect the ends of the springs with therespective drivewheels. The pressure so exerted upon the drive-wheelsbeing applied from points above and without the wheel-bases tends topress the wheels on each end of the case toward each other and cause thewheels to more tightly engage the interposed gear of the brush-roll,thereby insuring a rotary movement of the brush-roll. I have shown thelinks C4 in circular disk form, as they may be more easily turned up inthat form when made of wood; but they may be of any known form of linkswhich will pivotally connect the ends of the spring with the wheel axlesor hubs.

I prefer to make the links C4 of wood or other absorbent material, thepores of which are illed with lubricating-oil, as by soaking the wood inoil until it becomes saturated therewith. Wooden links treated in thismanner aord a noiseless bearing for the hub or IOO axle of thedrive-wheel and offer little frictional resistance to the rotarymovement of the hub or axle in such bearing.

The usual well-known dust-pans D are pivoted at D' upon the case, beingshown in a closed position by the solid lines and their position whenopen indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3. The pans are held in anormallyclosed position by means of the bow-spring D2, the ends of whichare secured to the short arms of the pans, respectively. To open thepans for the purpose of removing the load accumulated by the rotatingbrush, I provide a lever D3, fulcrumed at D4 upon the case, one arm ofthe lever projecting out through the case-wall and terminating in alever-operating handle D5. The inner end of the lever is connected bythelinks DG with the short arm of the respective pans. The bent end D7 ofthe spring, which is inserted in an aperture in the pan, is first passedthrough a receivingaperture in the link, as shown in Fig. 4. I am thusable to make the same pivotal connection serve for both the spring andlink.

By providing the upper end of the links with elongated pivot-aperturesD8, through which the pivotal connection with the operating-leverpasses, the pans can be opened by the hand, independently of thelever,much farther than the lever would open them, and if they areaccidentally forced farther the parts will not be injured, though madeof comparatively light material, as the pivot will simply slide alongthe elongated apertures.

By mounting the drive-wheels loosely upon the wire axles I provide forrotation of such wheels independently of a rotative movement ot' suchaxles and I am able to secure all the advantages of construction due tothe use of an axle extending from one end of the case to the other andat the same time prevent the rotary movement of the wheels from beinginterfered with by accumulations oflint, thread,

&c., upon the portions of the axles Within the case, which accumulationstend to retard or prevent the rotation of the axles.

The end bars or straps A4 are preferably formed of thin strips of metal,and the hooks C', C2, and Cs are struck up from the body of the strap,the lower hook C extending downwardly and the other two hooks extendingupwardly and inwardly, whereby they are together adapted to securelyhold the spring in position by engaging the middle semicircular offsetor bend C5 formed therein.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a carpet-sweeper, the combination with the drive-Wheels, avertically-movable case; and case-supporting spring-and-link connectionsbetween the case and drivewheels, of a spring-bail having inturned endsprojecting through and fitting apertures in the ends of the case, withthe bail-arms bearing upon the outer surface of the case endsrespectively; a brush-roll provided with axial end sockets having endbearings for the respective bail ends, whereby the roll is supported bythe bail independently of the case; and actuating connections betweenthe roll and drive-Wheels, substantially as described.

2. In a carpet-sweeper, the combination with a case, a pair ofoscillatory pans, and a retracting bow-spring made of wire andconnecting the two pans; of an actuating-lever fulcrumed upon the case;a pair of links each pivotally connected at one end with the lever, andat the other end pivoted upon the end of one of the arms of thebow-spring Where it enters the pan, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 29th day of June,1898.

STEPHEN PALMER.

Witnesses:

FRANK C. CURTIS, GEO. A. Mosman.

